Look: Simple and Colorful Organizing Tip! Austin

Have a space that desperately needs organizing but all you have the budget for are unattractive plastic drawers? Or perhaps you're about to move into a dorm and are looking for a way to show off your personality? We’ve come up with a simple and super affordable way to add a little pizzazz to these basic plastic organizers! More after the jump…

If you're like us, you don't mind these plastic storage containers when they get the job done. We do mind, however, when they get messy inside and other people can see them!

Using some painted cardboard taped securely to the inside of the drawers, we were able to make a colorful statement instead of a messy one!

Materials like patterned paper, wallpaper, contact paper or even fabric could be used to add a colorful punch to your inexpensive plastic drawers. We do suggest placing your materials on something sturdy like cardboard to protect your material against aggressive rummaging. And since the plastic supports are wide on these storage drawers, the tape is completely hidden from the outside!

What do you think? Have you tried something similar to this in your own organizing? Have an even better idea? Let us know!

Comments (13)

there is nothing you can do, fabric or colored paper, that will make those things look any less cheap or ugly. sorry. they belong out of site...under a bed or in a closet.

I think that's a great idea! I could even see putting paper up that indicates what's in the drawers. Like a line-drawing of a set of paint brushes or tubes printed out on a colorful sheet of paper could mark the drawer for art supplies, etc.

Sorry, I'm going to have to agree with LittleRock on this one. You could spray paint one a beautiful, glossy color and add gorgeous decals, and it would still look like cheap plastic with stickers on it.

That actually makes them look worse.

Geez - at least the cardboard drawers and shelves from last week were somewhat decorative, from a renewable resource and recyclable...

i hate these plastic drawer things. i tried to buy some almost six years ago when i started college, but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on something i knew i would just throw in a landfill in a year. I splurged on a galvanized metal drawer system from container store and still have it now, saving money and the planet in the long run (i realize i didn't save the entire planet, but i would like to believe these drawers are just that good.)

yes they're plastic and they're ugly, but at least adrienne is trying to make these look SOMEWHAT better. yes, regardless of what one does, they're still cheap plastic; i think this does make it look somewhat better, but i'd stick with ONE color or fabric.. the tri-color makes it look too much like it belongs in jr's room.

omg..are you serious..it might be a pain..but buying stacking bamboo/straw...lidded baskets are much better and useable anywhere and everywhere..and give style to the room..can be bought at high or low end...and still look good..and unfortunately, my cat thinks they are her very own scratching 'towers'...natural materials and you can't go wrong..

How much stuff are people putting thin their dorm rooms? I have little memory of how much stuff I had when I lived in dorms a long time ago. I vaguely remember shipping a trunk with books and papers and miscellaneous stuff. I don't recall having a need for furniture or any kind of organizational stuff until I moved into an apartment. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I really just don't remember. I guess my real question is what changed that people bring so much stuff to furnish a dorm room?

Why not just stick a table cloth over it?

Plastic spray paint and some colorful contact paper will do wonders.

Really.

Table cloth and move on.

i agree. these things belong in your closet with the doors closed!